Air register



March 2, 1965 R. H. ROTHBAUER AIR REGISTER Filed Jan. 16, 1961 United States Patent 3,171,342 Am REGISTER Raymond H. Rothbauer, Chicago, 111., assignor to Conroth Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 82,768 Claims. (ill. 98-106) This invention relates to an air register, and is particularly concerned with means for manipulating the closure plate of the register to regulate the flow of air through the register.

The register constructed in accordance with my invention comprises a front plate having an opening, a closure plate hingedly connected to said front plate to expose or cover said opening, and an operating lever. One end of the operating lever is slidably mounted upon a pair of centrally disposed louvers that traverse the opening provided in the front plate. The other end of the operating lever is pivotally secured to the closure plate at a point spaced from the axis of the hinge connection between the closure plate and the front plate. The operating lever is adapted to move the closure plate pivotally about the axis of its hinge in any direction, and to hold it in any adjusted position.

The front plate of the register has an opening which is preferably centrally disposed relative to the front plate but may be positioned anywhere within the confines of the front plate. A plurality of louvers extend across the opening in the front plate. The louvers are disposed edgewise and are generally parallel to each other, but may be arranged in any desired pattern. The louvers are preferably integral with the front plate and are formed by slitting the central portion of the front plate and bending the slit portions through an angle of approximately 90 from the plane of the front plate.

The register is mounted on a wall or plate with its opening in registration with an opening in an air duct. If desired, the register may be mounted directly on the air duct, either in alignment with the open end of the duct or over an opening provided in the wall of the duct. The air duct may be positioned in any suitable enviroment, such as, for example, a building or an automobile. The louvers may be arranged to direct the flow of air from the duct in a particular direction. The quantity of air passing through the register is regulated by the angular position of the closure plate relative to the front plate. The operating lever controls the angular position of the closure plate.

A suitable structure, by means of which the above and other advantages of the invention are attained, is fully described in the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational View of an air register embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the structure shown in MG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view, taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view, similar to FIG. 3, showing the register in fully open position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective View showing the operating lever slidably mounted on two adjacent louvers;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional View, taken along the line 66 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view, taken along the line '77 of FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings, a front plate 2 has an open ing 3 in communication with an air duct (not shown). The front plate is secured to a wall or plate in registration with an opening in an air duct in any suitable manner, as, for example, by means of screws or other fastening means extending through apertures 4 provided therefor. The front plate may have any desired configuration, but is shown as being rectangular, with the portions contiguous to said opening inclined rearwardly, as indicated at 5. A grill 6 extending across the entire opening 3 comprises a plurality of individual louvers arranged edgewise to allow air to flow through the spaces therebetween.

The operating lever 7 comprises a thumb piece 8 having a lip 9 bent downwardly from one end thereof and extending between two centrally disposed louvers 10 that are inclined downwardly and inwardly to provide a track on which the operating lever 7 is slidably mounted. The top of the thumb piece is shown as being flat, but it may have a projection, if desired, to facilitate sliding movement of the thumb piece. An car 11 is bent downwardly from each side of the thumb piece 8 to fit over the outer edges of the louvers 10. Each car 11 has a detent 12 extending inwardly toward the adjacent louver 10. The detents 12 cooperate with the louvers 10 to prevent accidental separation of the operating lever 7 from the louvers 10.

The operating lever 7 includes an integral strip 13 extending from the end of the thumb piece opposite the lip 9. The strip 13 extends throught he opening between the louvers 10 and is reversely bent, as indicated at 14, so that its outer end extends beyond the lip 9. The operat ing lever may be made of spring steel, or the strip 13 may be tempered to make it resilient. The resilience of the strip 13 urges its outer end outwardly about the bend 14 for a purpose hereinafter described. The strip 13 is notched on opposite edges adjacent its outer end, as indicated at 15 and 16, to form a narrow neck portion 17 and a T-shaped end 18. The T-shaped end serves to pivotally secure the operating lever 7 to a closure plate 19 shaped to conform to the shape of the front plate 2. The closure plate is at least as large as the opening 3, and in closed position fits against the rear surface of the front plate to prevent the flow of air through the register.

The closure plate 19 is hinged to the front plate 2 in any suitable manner. The hinge shown in the drawings comprises a pair of integral tongues 20 that project from one edge of the closure plate .and are adapted to be engaged in correspondingly spaced depressions 21 formed in the front plate. The depressions 21 are aligned adjacent one edge of the opening 3. The line extending between the depressions Z1 defines the axis of the hinge connection between the closure plate and the front plate. The register is shown as having two tongues and two depressions, but it will be understood that this number may be in creased, depending upon the dimension of the closure plate longitudinally of the hinged connection. The depressions 21 are preferably struck from the front plate, but may be provided in other ways. For example, separately formed lugs may be welded to the front plate. The free ends of the tongues 20 abut against the rear walls of the depressions 21 to provide a pivotal support for the closure plate as it is moved between its open and closed positions. The connection between the T-shaped outer end 18 of the operating lever 7 and the closure plate 19 cooperates with the hinge connections to prevent complete separation of the closure plate and the front plate.

The opposite edge portion of the front plate may be provided with latch means (not shown) adapted to be engaged by the edge of the closure plate in closed position. Generally such latch means are not considered to be necessary because the friction between the thumb piece and the louvers 10 is sufi'icient to hold the closure in any position into which it is moved. Preferably depressions 21 are formed on opposite edge portions of the front plate to permit hinging the closure plate along either edge.- In the illustrated embodiment of the invention,

the register is of rectangular shape and the closure plate is hinged along one longitudinal edge. However, the closure plate may be hinged along any hinge line.

The closure plate 19 is provided with an aperture 22 spaced from the axis of the hinge connection between the closure plate and the front plate. The aperture 22 has acentral portion of rectangular shape that has a width approximately equal to the width of the narrow neck portion 17 of the strip 13. Notches 23 and 24 extend from the opposite ends of the aperture 22 to provide an elongated slot that extends in a direction transverse to the axis of the hinge. The slot has a length slightly greater than the width of the strip. The end portions of the slot that project beyond the ends of the rectangular aperture 22 have a width approximately equal to the thickness of the strip 13.

The register is assembled by passing the strip 13 between the centrally disposed louvers it) from the outer faceof the front plate, and then inserting the 'T-shaped end 18 of the strip 13 through the slot until the notches 15 and 16 register with the edges of the closure plate defining the aperture 22. The operating lever 7 is then rotated through 90 to pivotally secure the strip 13 to the closure plate with the T-shaped end projecting beyond the edges of the closure plate that define the edges of the aperture 22. When the outer end 18 of the strip 13 is assembled in this manner with the closure plate the shoulders at opposite ends of the notches 15 or 16 abut the closure plate, and the closure plate is in approximate registration with the front plate. The tongues 26 are then inserted into the depressions 21, and the cars 31 are bent inwardly against the angularly inclined sides of the louvers 10 so that the detents 12 cooperate with the louvers 10 to hold the thumb piece 8 in sliding relationship to the louvers. V

The thumb piece 8 of theoperating ever may then he slid along the louvers 10 in either direction by pressure applied against the thumb piece. Movement of the thumb piece 8 in either direction transmits the force ap plied to the thumb piece to the closure plate 19 in the area contiguous to the aperture 22. Movement of the thumb piece toward the axis of the hinge connection moves the closure plate toward its open position, and the movement of the thumb piece away from the axis of the hinge moves the closure plate toward its closed position. The distance between the outer end of the operating lever 7 and the hinge axis provides sufiicient leverage for the action of the operating lever against the closure plate so that a small force applied against the thumb piece easily moves the closure plate pivotally about its hinge axis. There is sufficient friction between the thumb piece 8 and the louvers 10 to hold the closure plate in any angular position rela tive to the front plate to regulate the flow of air through the register.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the resilience of the strip 13 allows the outer end of the strip 13 to move outwardly from the thumb piece 8 as the thumb piece is moved toward the hinge axis, and to move inwardly toward the thumb piece as the thumb piece is moved away from the hinge axis. The resilience of the strip 13 also permits the assembly of the operating lever with the front plate and the closure plate as hereinabove described.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of the invention in considerable detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as many details of the construction may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact structure described.

I claim:

1. A register comprising a front plate, a closure plate and an operating lever, said front plate having an opening and a grill extending across said opening, said grill comprising a pair of parallel louvers arranged edgewise and inclined to converge toward said closure plate, said closure plate having an aperture, a hinge pivotally connecting said closure plate to said front plate along an axis parallel to one edge of said opening, said operating lever comprising a thumb piece and a flat resilient strip integral with said thumb piece, said thumb piece having a top provided with a thumb engaging surface, and sides bent from opposite edges of said top to slidably engage the outer surfaces of said pair of louvers, a detent projecting inwardly from each of said sides to frictionally engage the outer surfaces of said pair of louvers for retaining said thumb piece in sliding engagement With said grill, said flat strip extending downwardly and inwardly from the lower edge of said thumb piece and being bent upwardly to form a resilient connecting member of approximately U-shape, and means for pivotally connecting the upper free end of said connecting member to the upper portion of said closure plate at a point spaced from the axis of said hinge, whereby the resilience of said strip permits the sides of the connecting member to move toward each other as said thumb piece is moved away from said hinge to close said closure plate, and causes said strip to flex outwardly to open said closure plate as said thumb piece is moved toward said hinge.

2. A register comprising a front plate, a closure plate and an operating lever, said front plate having an opening and a pair of louvers traversing said opening, said closure plate having an aperture and being hinged to said front plate, said operating lever comprising a thumb piece slidably engaged with said louvers and a flat resilient strip integral with said thumb piece, said strip having its outer end interengaged with the aperture in said closure plate to pivotally connect said strip to said closure plate at a point spaced from the axis of said hinge, said thumb piece having a thumb engaging surface extending parallel to the plane of said front plate and an ear bent at substantially right angles to the plane of said thumb engaging surface along each longitudinal edge of said thumb piece, said ears having detents frictionally engaging said louvers to hold said thumb piece against accidental displacement relative to said grill, said strip being reversely bent intermediate said thumb piece and the outer end of said strip to form a resilient connecting member of approximately U-shape, the resilience of said strip permitting its outer end to move inwardly toward said thumb piece as said thumb piece is moved away from said hinge to close said closure plate and causing said strip to flex outwardly to open said closure plate as said thumb piece is moved toward said hinge.

3. A register comprising a front plate, a closure plate and an operating lever, said front plate having an opening and a pair of louvers traversing said opening, said louvers having their sides angularly inclined and converging toward their inner edges, said closure plate having an aperture, a hinge pivotally connecting said closure plate to said front plate, said operating lever comprising a thumb piece positioned against the outer edges of said louvers, a pair of ears bent inwardly from opposite sides of said thumb piece, said ears having detents engaging the angularly inclined sides of said louvers with sufficient friction to prevent accidental movement of said thumb piece relative to said'louvers, and a resilient strip integral with said thumb piece, said strip having its outer end interengaged with the aperture in said closure plate to pivotally connect said strip to said closure plate at a point spaced from the axis of said hinge, said strip being bent transversely along a line parallel to the plane of said front plate to form a resilient connecting member of approximately U-shape, the resilience of said strip permitting the sides of the connecting member to move toward each other as said thumb piece is moved away from said hinge to close said closure plate and causing said strip to fiex outwardly to open said closure plate as said thumb piece is moved toward said hinge.

4. A register comprising a front plate, a closure plate and an operating lever, said front plate having an opening and a pair of louvers traversing said opening, said iouvers having their sides angularly inclined and converging toward their inner edges, said closure plate having an aperture, a hinge pivotally connecting said closure plate to said front plate, said operating lever comprising a thumb piece positioned against the outer edges of said louvers, a pair of cars depending from opposite sides of said thumb piece in sliding engagement with said louvers, each of said ears having a detent extending toward the adjacent louver and cooperating therewith to prevent separation of said thumb piece from said louvers, and a resilient strip integral with said thumb piece, said strip extending from one end of said thumb piece, the outer end of said strip being interengaged with the aperture in said closure plate, whereby said strip is pivotally connected to said closure plate at a point spaced from the axis of said hinge, said strip being bent to form a resilient connecting member of approximately U-shape, the resilience of said strip permitting the sides of said connecting member to move toward each other as said thumb piece is moved away from said hinge to close said closure plate, and causing said strip to flex outwardly to open said closure plate as said thumb piece is moved toward said hinge.

5. A register comprising a front plate, a closure plate and an operating lever, said front plate having an opening and a pair of louvers traversing said opening, said front plate having a pair of aligned depressions, said closure plate having an aperture, said closure plate also having a pair of tongues engageable with said'depressions, said operating lever comprising a thumb piece slidably engaged with said louvers with sufficient friction to prevent accidental movement of said thumb piece relative to said louvers, and a resilient strip integral with said thumb piece, said strip having its outer end interengaged with said aperture to pivotally connect said strip to said closure plate at a point spaced from the axis of said hinge, said strip being bent transversely into approximately U-shape whereby the resilience of said strip permits the sides of the U to move toward each other as said thumb piece is moved away from the hinge to close said closure plate and causes said strip to flex outwardly to open said closure plate as said thumb piece is moved toward said hinge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A REGISTER COMPRISING A FRONT PLATE, A CLOSURE PLATE AND AN OPERATING LEVER, SAID FRONT PLATE HAVING AN OPENING AND A GRILL EXTENDING ACROSS SAID OPENING, SAID GRILL COMPRISING A PAIR OF PARALLEL LOUVERS ARRANGED EDGEWISE AND INCLINED TO CONVERGE TOWARD SAID CLOSURE PLATE, SAID CLOSURE PLATE HAVING AN APERTURE, A HINGE PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID CLOSURE PLATE TO SAID FRONT PLATE ALONG AN AXIS PARALLEL TO ONE EDGE OF SAID OPENING, SAID OPERATING LEVER COMPRISING A THUMB PIECE AND A FLAT RESILIENT STRIP INTEGRAL WITH SAID THUMB PIECE, SAID THUMB PIECE HAVING A TOP PROVIDED WITH A THUMB ENGAGING SURFACE, AND SIDES BENT FROM OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID TOP TO SLIDABLY ENGAGE THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID PAIR OF LOUVERS, A DETENT PROJECTING INWARDLY FROM EACH OF SAID SIDES TO FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID PAIR OF LOUVERS FOR RETAINING SAID THUMB PIECE IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID GRILL, SAID FLAT STRIP EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY FROM THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID THUMB PIECE AND BEING BENT UPWARDLY TO FORM A RESILIENT CONNECTING MEMBER OF APPROXIMATELY U-SHAPE, AND MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE UPPER FREE END OF SAID CONNECTING MEMBER TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CLOSURE PLATE AT A POINT SPACED FROM THE AXIS OF SAID HINGE, WHEREBY THE RESILIENCE OF SAID STRIP PERMITS THE SIDES OF THE CONNECTING MEMBER TO MOVE TOWARD EACH OTHER AS SAID THUMB PIECE IS MOVED AWAY FROM SAID HINGE TO CLOSE SAID CLOSURE PLATE, AND CAUSES SAID STRIP TO FLEX OUTWARDLY TO OPEN SAID CLOSURE PLATE AS SAID THUMB PIECE IS MOVED TOWARD SAID HINGE. 